Grab is integrating robots and autonomous driving into its next phase of growth. Chief Technology Officer Suthen Paradatheth said that the future importance of delivery robots could be comparable to that of platform drivers. On May 20, Grab announced that its delivery robot Carri will be deployed in the Punggol district of Singapore, a region that has been a focal point for testing robotic services.
Singapore pilot test
Paradatheth said that Carri has long been operating within Grab’s Singapore headquarters. The office is not only filled with Grab’s own devices but also robots from other companies. Grab does not require its business teams to use only internal products; instead, it incorporates external solutions for comparison to continuously optimize product performance.
Grab began as a ride-hailing service and later expanded into delivery, digital payments, and insurance. As its business grew, the company reduced its reliance on external infrastructure by launching its own mapping service, GrabMaps, to gradually replace third-party mapping capabilities.
The platform has deployed over a thousand AI models.
Grab's management stated that over 1,000 AI models have been deployed on its platform, with the internal principle of "AI first, with heart." Paradatheth emphasized focusing on translating AI into tangible value for users and merchants, rather than leaving it at the conceptual stage.
He cited that Grab developed a translation model tailored for Southeast Asian language environments to facilitate in-app communication translation. According to him, this tool achieves approximately 90% accuracy and can recognize colloquial abbreviations and text-message-style expressions. Due to the fragmented nature of Southeast Asian languages and the high number of tourists from China, Japan, and South Korea, multilingual capability is considered an essential part of the platform’s services.
In addition to consumer-facing features, Grab plans to launch an AI promotion initiative for small and medium-sized businesses in Singapore, targeting 10,000 food, e-commerce, and retail businesses to encourage adoption of AI tools.
Autonomous driving expands to more scenarios
Beyond robotics, Grab is also accelerating its autonomous driving initiatives. The company has invested in several autonomous driving startups and launched an autonomous bus testing program in Singapore. Management has previously stated that workers who do not use AI may face pressure to be replaced, sparking public concern about platform-based employment.
However, Paradatheth stated that Grab does not view autonomous vehicles and delivery robots as direct replacements for human workers, but rather as complements to existing drivers and delivery systems. He hopes that Grab will play a more significant role in the future in the city’s “embodied AI” space, integrating robots, vehicle scheduling, and urban mobility services.
In terms of business scale, Grab continues to expand its regional influence. The company generated $2.8 billion in revenue last year, up from $469 million in 2020. In March this year, Grab further extended its market presence beyond Southeast Asia by acquiring Foodpanda’s operations in Taiwan for $600 million.